GEN.SALEH’S BRAIN FARM! OWC Commander Turns Kiroma Heritage Farm Into Mega Research School to Drive Uganda’s Wealth Revolution
The initiative is linked to the School of Research concept introduced at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi. President Yoweri Museveni recently launched the Walter Rodney Block at NALI during an engagement with newly elected Members of Parliament and ministers
The Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and Presidential Adviser on Defence and Security, Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho, popularly known as Gen. Salim Saleh, has transformed his Kiroma Heritage Farm in Sembabule Sub-county, Nakasongola District, into a research and knowledge-sharing centre.
The facility, now home to the General Caleb Akandwanaho School of Research, is intended to preserve, document and share years of research and practical experience accumulated by Gen. Saleh in agriculture, land governance, wealth creation and national development.
According to Saleh’s office, the school will provide policymakers, government technocrats, researchers and development partners with access to existing research and practical findings that can inform national planning and development.
The initiative is linked to the School of Research concept introduced at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.
President Yoweri Museveni recently launched the Walter Rodney Block at NALI during an engagement with newly elected Members of Parliament and ministers.
Saleh’s spokesperson, Dismas Okoo, said the Kyankwanzi initiative provided the foundation for the concept, while Kiroma Heritage Farm has become the practical centre where research, testing and knowledge-sharing activities are taking place.
“This is not a policy-making institution,” Okoo said.
“Its role is to provide credible, evidence-based information that supports government planning and development. Researchers and practitioners can access existing findings instead of repeating work that has already been done.”
Focus on land disputes
One of the key areas of research at the school is land governance.
Okoo said Gen. Saleh has been studying the relationship between land and food security for decades, dating back to a paper he published in 1996.
The research, he said, examines the importance of land in achieving sustainable food production, agricultural transformation, industrialisation and wealth creation.
The school has also developed and tested an Alternative Land Dispute Resolution model aimed at reducing the lengthy court battles associated with land conflicts.
According to Okoo, more than 300 of the over 530 land disputes identified in Nakasongola District have so far been resolved through mediation.
He said the experience could provide lessons for addressing land conflicts in other parts of the country.
From farm to knowledge centre
Kiroma Heritage Farm has gradually evolved from an agricultural demonstration farm into a multi-purpose centre supporting commercial agriculture, livestock production, youth mentorship, enterprise development, investment promotion and policy discussions.
The facility hosts government officials, diplomats, private-sector players, entrepreneurs, farmers and researchers interested in practical approaches to wealth creation and rural transformation.
The farm also features machine fabrication and value-addition technologies, showcasing efforts to promote local manufacturing and industrialisation.
Beyond research, officials say the centre will provide a platform for dialogue among stakeholders with different views, allowing them to examine evidence, exchange ideas and develop practical solutions to development challenges.
Dr Fred Muhumuza, a lecturer at Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences, welcomed the initiative.
He said the school could help bridge the gap between academic research and practical development by providing a space where ideas and research findings can be tested in real-world settings.
The transformation of Kiroma Heritage Farm comes as the government continues to emphasise evidence-based planning, agricultural transformation, industrialisation and wealth creation as key drivers of Uganda’s development.
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